West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-01-06
BUSINESS REVIEW.
Condition OF Affairs In Commercial
Circles

Circles
Business people were active during thu
week taking aocoun, OF stock, strengthening
out accounts, putting matters in order for
the opening year. While each Il 80 intsntly
engaged ON his own afr airs, and everyone in
clined 20 defOr all shipments and orders un.il
after the books have beoa finally balanced
for the year. the volume OF trAngfers falls Off
without indicating any ac,uL decrease in
the activities OF trade That which Is de.
ferred under such circumstances tends TO
swell the amount OF future transactions. For
the closing days OF tho year trade held M re-
markedly last week With the exception OF
cotton aud wooden goo Is. In n joblny way
there was far m ore than ordinary activity
for tie season. The anthracite coal trade has
been espec ally active an1 btu nino13 has
kept up 20 full capacity OF transportation
The bituminous coal region Il in constant
want OF more cars 20 carry their produc'
The price OF anthracite has advanced. AMI
the Imlng cold weather will probably effect
th' same result in soft coal There has been
a decline in new orders in the iron and steel
indu 'tries, for which manufacturers are
grateful, as It gives them an opportunity Co
get into shap5 TO properly clrs for the in
creased business OF the coming year NJ
withstandiny recen, advances in prices and
assertions that further advances are likely %
n BOD the country with foreign proiucts,' a
further advance Is p-oblb,e. The import a~
tionso Of iron and s'esl during 1856 have been
very heaYy--abou. AS 900 tons of IRON over
100000 tons OF steel blooms and billets, 1885,
900 tons OF wire rpds--and tls total impor "a
tions OF iron --ud steel for IS % are estimate
at l,00l,0 tons, yet the price OF many kinds
Of foreign material has been advancing in
sympathy with our own markets. so far
from flooding the csuutry,' therefore, sucl
importations have bean INSULT ,ient. notwith-
standing thair Importance to suIp'y all the
wants OF American consumers. The ab orb
emit power OF the American people is b-c)m-
ing The handspring OF prosperity 10 the com.
nercial world. Foreign demand for the
products Of this country are increasing. and
prices OF wheat, corn, wheat four AMI pro-
visions hcve advanced during the week Ex>
ports of meats were up to the average,
and Of lard they were enormous. IL is SAID
that 3 100000 bushels OF wheat are held in
Chicago AMI New York for foreign account,
and that this interest are yet buyers. This
week closet with a much hrmer feeling in "a
the speculative markets, bus no particular
increase in &C ivity in Legitimate trade is
looked for before the sec)n week in Jlnu-
airy, or until thu January settlements have
been consumml tel. The surplus reserves ia
the anks OF New York sho we'd an ex raor-
binary increase from deposits, simultane>
ously with very large receipts OF specie from
abroad. The current OF god is yet strong
towards the United States from England
aud European countries while the larger
contracts for clearances at Atlantic ports for
January and February would in iicate that
tho bulk OF the seasons foreg trade has MT
yet started. With the ex ,s2ti)n of the very
large increase in failures during the last
quarter OF year, there is nothing visible 20
disturb the advancement in progress tow ards
still greater re ults In legitimate business
whatever may be the fluctultions OF specu>
lanve markets. The manipulation of thu
latter is gradu lily losing thai f5rcD it form
erly exerted ON Legitimate trId1. A panic
in stocks, in oil or in p DIVISION fails to in.
duce the legiJim ,ts ira iers in pig iron, in
groceries or dry goo Is, or even in cattle or
b-eadstufs, to thro th,ir property on tn
market at ruinous rats as has be the case
at times in the past Public confidencs in
legitimate trade is very str ing bus this doss
not lead the public into SD IL aJive mar
kets. We regard the sitult,on in every re
spect as entirely hsal:hy an such as Is more
likely TO gain strength than 70 decline in
gigor.